"May we exist like a lotus, at home in the muddy water. Thus we bow to life as it is.
This verse, often recited in Zen retreats, is an important reminder, says Ezra Bayda, of what the spiritual life is really about: the willingness to open ourselves to "whatever life presents-no matter how messy or complicated. Through that willingness we discover wisdom, compassion, and the genuine life we all want. Bayda applies this simple Zen teaching to a range of concerns from everyday life-including relationships, trust, sexuality, and money-showing that we have all the material we need for practice right here before us, and that peace and fulfillment is available to everyone, right here, right now, no matter what the circumstances.

Ezra Bayda teaches at the San Diego Zen Center in San Diego, California. He is the author of several books, including, Being Zen and At Home in the Muddy Water.